Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz Megan Thee Stallion ‘s is having one hell of a year. Megan’s album Fever is still making waves and her smash hit “Big Ole Freak” is now certified gold. Today (June 18) Apple Music announced the Houston, Texas native as its latest Up Next artist. As part being named Apple Music’s Up Next artist, a short shot on entirely on iPhone XS will be available on June 25. In it Megan Thee Stallion reflects on her early days touring, throwing house parties for small groups of her Hotties, allowing them intimate access to her. “I love going to each city and getting to hug them and talk to them and twerk with them. Drive the boat with them.” Speaking on being selected by Apple Music she added: “I am so excited to be part of Apple Music’s Up Next program. Apple has been helping me spread my music to hotties all across the world, and now it’s about to get even hotter.” It doesn’t stop there, Megan Thee Stallion will also make her late-night U.S. debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, as part of being selected for Apple Music’s Up Next program. Her music will also be added to Apple Music’s Up Next playlist alongside her Up Next peers. Along with the short, fans can also listen to her sit-down with Beats 1’s Nadeska Alexis where she spoke on growing up in Houston, working with her longtime hero Juicy J and what inspired to her to rap. When talking about the Thee Stallion, Alexis had nothing but praise stating: “The fact that Megan Thee Stallion initially captivated us with her freestyles is a testament to the skill and creativity that’s made her music hit so hard. Factor in her slick-talking, rowdy alter-egos with her confident charisma and it’s easy to see that she is a born entertainer.” You can watch the entire interview below, Megan Thee Stallion is not going anywhere for a long time, so get used to seeing and hearing her. — Photo: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty The concept of legacy is nothing new to Laz Alonso . The seasoned actor who has starred in films like Jumping The Broom and Just Wright has been forced to think apart from his own financial future from the start of his career. He revealed his first major purchase when Hollywood came calling on the red carpet for the Prudential documentary Legacy Lives On . “I bought my mom a house,” said the actor. He made the purchase with his check from 2005’s Jarhead . Many would have used their windfall from the popcorn flick to splurge on something selfish, but Alonso had one agenda protecting his mother from falling victim to gun violence . “This was D.C. in the eighties,” he explained. “My mother used to park her car in this lady’s house, and she rented rooms too.” His mother routinely parked her car at the woman’s home to prevent it from being broken into or stolen at the height of the city’s crack epidemic. “She went inside and had tea with the old lady every day after work,” he said. “One day my mother got there and there was police tape around the house. One of the rooms was rented to a drug dealer and one day they came in the house and shot the old lady, the drug dealer and the drug dealer’s kids,” he continued somberly. “She had stayed at work a little late this one particular day. Otherwise she would have been there at the table.” Seeing how close his mother had come to losing her life forced Alonso to focus on how money could be a tool to provide for him and his loved ones. “I was like ‘I gotta get my mother out of here. I don’t care how much debt it’s gonna put me in.’” A consistent fixture on the large and small screens he has used his money to invest in not only real estate but projects that afford him the luxuries accompanied by ownership . He praised the documentary for offering what he called “practical tips not vague information,” on how to save and invest. He also expressed a desire to make an “investment in the community,” with the funds from his current projects including an Amazon Prime TV Show called The Boys where he will work with Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba. He advises younger actors coming into the industry as streaming services threaten to dismantle traditional business models to do the same. “Create, create create,” he said. “You should be creating. Your intellectual property is your real estate.” DON’T MISS: This Black Financial Blogger Helped Create A Bill To Teach Middle Schoolers Money Management Will Rihanna’s Deal With LVMH Be The Key To More Black Women In Fashion? MODEL MONDAY: Tanya Angelique Talks Perseverance And Getting Her Start Through A Black Designer [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3028802″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Will Sterling / Will Sterling Before the Dancing Dolls became reality TV stars with lavish costumes that shimmer when they buck, Dianna Williams (better known as Miss D) sketched their costumes in her living room. Under the guidance of a woman named Mrs. Pat, she learned about costume design and styling. And after a manufacturer would create her concepts, she’d go to work bedazzling them with her weapon of choice, a hot glue gun. “I designed every costume the Dancing Dolls have worn since the team was founded. I sat and drew the costumes. I decided where the cloth was going to go, where the sequins were going to go,” she said passionately during a candid chat. “Most people don’t know that for the first 14 years that the dancing dolls were around. I did the Dancing Doll uniforms all by hand. I did everything I needed to do for those girls costumes.” Miss D has always been obsessed with dolls and dollhouses. “I always used to make my dolls dance,” she revealed. Dianna started the Dancing Dolls when she was 21. She began coaching straight out of college with the support of her grandmother who owned a daycare — the Pied Piper Playhouse where the Dancing Dolls started. “She allowed me to have practice there. She allowed me to start the group there. She sewed their very first dancing uniforms.” When it came to getting uniforms, a dance company Jazzy Dancers was pivotal in clothing the girls. Mrs. Pat and Mr. Skip owned the only dance company in Jackson, Mississippi that sold costumes. “She told me what kind of boots I needed, what type of fish nets and tights to buy the girls because I had no clue.” Source: Stephen J. Cohen / Getty Inspired by Jacksonville University’s Prancing J-Settes collegiate dance team around the corner, it was important for the Dancing Dolls to look as professional as they moved. “I watched them. I seen what it is that they did. I wanted my girls to look like that. I patterned everything behind this upscale collegiate organization that was at a college I inspired to go to ever since I was a little girl. It didn’t matter that I didn’t make the team, I still wanted to make sure my girls had a prestigious look,” she explained. “I created the dancing dolls to give the kids to have something positive to do in our community. Living in Jackson, Mississippi, there’s not a lot to do there. I wanted to create something the kids could be proud of.” She later founded the Dollhouse Dance Factory, which became a pillar in the community. Much of their success can be attributed to Youtube, which has been a huge marketing tool for the Dancing Dolls. “I’ll never forget the user God’s First Dime, she was the first person to put together these videos of the Dancing Dolls. If you type in mini J-Settes you will find a bunch of old footage.” The Dancing Dolls were discovered after Madonna performed at the Super Bowl using the Southern University Dancing Dolls as her background dancers. “I’ll never forget, I got an e-mail and phone call from Pilgrim studios who wanted to do a reality show on the Dancing Dolls. I think they thought they were contacting them.” Hesitant it was a scam, Dianna didn’t immediately respond. “Come to find out they had done their research and realized that the Dancing Dolls that was on the Super Bowl were not the same Dancing Dolls they thought that had. They had Googled Dancing Dolls and my $2.99 GoDaddy website popped up.” But God makes no mistakes and upon further research, they discovered their Youtube videos. The DD4L brand has grown tremendously since then, branching off into several seasons of Bring It and a Bring It! Live Tour . Source: Bryan Bedder / Getty “The Bring It! Live tour has been a way for us to engage with our fans on a more personal, live level. People watch the show and believe some of the tricks the girls do are just camera tricks but they’re not. Watching them perform on TV and not hearing the real music versus watching them live is a completely different feel. Being at a Bring It! Live show is like being at a rock concert. They’re standing, they’re screaming for their favorite doll.” And chances are, you’re favorite doll will be there. “We have a new crew going on the tour, but we also have old familiar faces. Kayla will be there. Everybody loves Kayla. Sunjai will be there this year. Kenjanae has always been a force, she’s that good, she’ll be there.” And there are some surprise dolls who will be on the tour, but it hasn’t been announced yet! Get tickets for the Bring It! Live tour, here . [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”3028949″ overlay=”true”] RELATED STORIES: DD4L: Here’s A Super Exclusive First Look At The New Season Of ‘Bring It’ #DD4L: Miss D On Beef With Neva; Bucking On Without Kayla + An EXCLUSIVE Sneak Peek Of The Season Finale
Source: Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty On the most recent episode of “Red Table Talk,” musician and actor Common sat down with Jada Pinkett-Smith , Gammy and Willow to discuss the tension that existed between him and his daughter Omoye, learning his triggers in romantic relationships and his relationship with Angela Rye these days. Check out the highlights below. — Jada : I was really moved by your book in terms of you repairing your relationship with your daughter. Because we had a little bit of that in our house. Will just thought that winning, he thought providing was enough. Until one day, Willow was like, ‘This is hurting me.’ Willow : I don’t even think it was a conversation. It was just me choosing to be like ‘No.’ Jada : This was during the “Whip the Hair.” It took her and that relationship for him to stop and reevaluate what is love. Common : My daughter Omoye confronted me. It was a late-night call so I thought I was getting a call like, ‘I’m a cool dad.’ It was 2 in the morning. I had to start a film the next day so I said, ‘Ima call you back. Let’s talk tomorrow.’ And she called me right back like, ‘Yo, you don’t even care. You ain’t even see where I was at.’ And it really, it shook me for a minute. I was like, ‘What are you talking about? I do care.’ And her mother and I weren’t together. Eventually, that conversation turned into her saying you weren’t there for me, you didn’t fight for me as a father. It made me feel defensive. I was hurt and I was mad too. I was like, ‘You really believe some of this stuff.’ What I really learned, after I got past my own ego, I said, ‘Look, you right, I didn’t fight.’ And I had to acknowledge that. I just need to listen to her because this is what she’s feeling. No matter what I think I’ve done and this and that, this is how she feels. And that was one of those the heavens open moments and how to apply love more. Jada : In the way it looked for her. You probably thought you were doing your thing. Common : I didn’t grow necessarily with my father, right? So a lot of ways I learned to be a man is from my homies and other father figures. And the provide and protect are the two most important things we learn. And I’m a caring individual but I had to get past just providing and protecting because love is a action word. That type of understanding and just paying attention is what we weren’t equipped with… When you put the truth on the table, it strengthens the relationship. Omoye was harboring those feelings. She felt like, ‘I didn’t always have my dad here so if I tell him some stuff he did wrong, I’ll have him less.’ Once she was able to put it out, she felt liberated and free. And now, she’s more secure in the fact that you can tell your dad whatever you need to tell him and the love is going to be there. We had our own therapy session together. And she was smart about it. She was like, ‘Dad, before this book come out we need to resolve this.’ We’re doing great overall, she just graduated from Howard University. Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). His daughter’s reaction to learning he had been molested. Common : She was like did this really happen to you? I was like, ‘Yeah.’ And that’s when she started processing. and she said, ‘I really am proud of you.’ When your daughter tell you she’s proud of you, you feel that. His relationship with his mother affecting his romantic relationships with women Common : My mother gave me all the love she could but some of that love was even pain because of her and my father not being together and that struggle. A single mother sometimes will put the responsibility of a husband on a young boy. And the child is like, he’s trying to do his best but he can’t do what a husband can do, just providing the emotional energy and love. And that eventually transfers into an intimacy avoidance. So anytime that show up in a [romantic] relationship, you’re like no. You’re like this feels familiar in a bad way. And the mothers they don’t know they’re doing that. They’re just trying to offer their love. I’ve been in situations where I’ve been in a good relationship but the woman, she needed certain things and I felt like it was being too much. It reminded me of my mother. I need to identify is this really happening and if it is, I should be able to communicate that and say the things I need. And that’s what the therapy has helped me with. And I’m like, ‘Black people, let’s use therapy, man.’ From a personal level to a generational level, we can use it to heal. Jada : There was a line in the book where you thought love was desire. Common : Men really identify this yearning for this person being a love thing. When that in love, honeymoon phase goes, I would go, ‘This don’t feel as good.’ I would start coming up with excuses on why the relationship is not gon work. ‘When I’m in relationships, I don’t do work as well.’ My albums are not as good or I don’t focus. And I really believed that. Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit Wanting to be a husband Common : For a long time, I was in and out with that. Do I really wanna be a husband or am I doing this because this is what society says to. Now, I just want that partnership to be able to experience life, where I’m growing as a human being and it’s fun too. I know it’s hard at times. Whether or not he’s dating Angela Rye again? I am dating and I have a great companion and that companion could be that person right there. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1381799071971109 This story was originally published on MadameNoire.com . ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Sasha Obama Graduates High School [PHOTOS] Tami Ever After: Tami Roman Lands ‘Basketball Wives’ Spinoff Show Aoki Lee Simmons Stuns At Senior Prom [PHOTOS] Follow @TheRSMS
Source: Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty On the most recent episode of “Red Table Talk,” musician and actor Common sat down with Jada Pinkett-Smith , Gammy and Willow to discuss the tension that existed between him and his daughter Omoye, learning his triggers in romantic relationships and his relationship with Angela Rye these days. Check out the highlights below. — Jada : I was really moved by your book in terms of you repairing your relationship with your daughter. Because we had a little bit of that in our house. Will just thought that winning, he thought providing was enough. Until one day, Willow was like, ‘This is hurting me.’ Willow : I don’t even think it was a conversation. It was just me choosing to be like ‘No.’ Jada : This was during the “Whip the Hair.” It took her and that relationship for him to stop and reevaluate what is love. Common : My daughter Omoye confronted me. It was a late-night call so I thought I was getting a call like, ‘I’m a cool dad.’ It was 2 in the morning. I had to start a film the next day so I said, ‘Ima call you back. Let’s talk tomorrow.’ And she called me right back like, ‘Yo, you don’t even care. You ain’t even see where I was at.’ And it really, it shook me for a minute. I was like, ‘What are you talking about? I do care.’ And her mother and I weren’t together. Eventually, that conversation turned into her saying you weren’t there for me, you didn’t fight for me as a father. It made me feel defensive. I was hurt and I was mad too. I was like, ‘You really believe some of this stuff.’ What I really learned, after I got past my own ego, I said, ‘Look, you right, I didn’t fight.’ And I had to acknowledge that. I just need to listen to her because this is what she’s feeling. No matter what I think I’ve done and this and that, this is how she feels. And that was one of those the heavens open moments and how to apply love more. Jada : In the way it looked for her. You probably thought you were doing your thing. Common : I didn’t grow necessarily with my father, right? So a lot of ways I learned to be a man is from my homies and other father figures. And the provide and protect are the two most important things we learn. And I’m a caring individual but I had to get past just providing and protecting because love is a action word. That type of understanding and just paying attention is what we weren’t equipped with… When you put the truth on the table, it strengthens the relationship. Omoye was harboring those feelings. She felt like, ‘I didn’t always have my dad here so if I tell him some stuff he did wrong, I’ll have him less.’ Once she was able to put it out, she felt liberated and free. And now, she’s more secure in the fact that you can tell your dad whatever you need to tell him and the love is going to be there. We had our own therapy session together. And she was smart about it. She was like, ‘Dad, before this book come out we need to resolve this.’ We’re doing great overall, she just graduated from Howard University. Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). His daughter’s reaction to learning he had been molested. Common : She was like did this really happen to you? I was like, ‘Yeah.’ And that’s when she started processing. and she said, ‘I really am proud of you.’ When your daughter tell you she’s proud of you, you feel that. His relationship with his mother affecting his romantic relationships with women Common : My mother gave me all the love she could but some of that love was even pain because of her and my father not being together and that struggle. A single mother sometimes will put the responsibility of a husband on a young boy. And the child is like, he’s trying to do his best but he can’t do what a husband can do, just providing the emotional energy and love. And that eventually transfers into an intimacy avoidance. So anytime that show up in a [romantic] relationship, you’re like no. You’re like this feels familiar in a bad way. And the mothers they don’t know they’re doing that. They’re just trying to offer their love. I’ve been in situations where I’ve been in a good relationship but the woman, she needed certain things and I felt like it was being too much. It reminded me of my mother. I need to identify is this really happening and if it is, I should be able to communicate that and say the things I need. And that’s what the therapy has helped me with. And I’m like, ‘Black people, let’s use therapy, man.’ From a personal level to a generational level, we can use it to heal. Jada : There was a line in the book where you thought love was desire. Common : Men really identify this yearning for this person being a love thing. When that in love, honeymoon phase goes, I would go, ‘This don’t feel as good.’ I would start coming up with excuses on why the relationship is not gon work. ‘When I’m in relationships, I don’t do work as well.’ My albums are not as good or I don’t focus. And I really believed that. Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit Wanting to be a husband Common : For a long time, I was in and out with that. Do I really wanna be a husband or am I doing this because this is what society says to. Now, I just want that partnership to be able to experience life, where I’m growing as a human being and it’s fun too. I know it’s hard at times. Whether or not he’s dating Angela Rye again? I am dating and I have a great companion and that companion could be that person right there. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1381799071971109 This story was originally published on MadameNoire.com . ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Sasha Obama Graduates High School [PHOTOS] Tami Ever After: Tami Roman Lands ‘Basketball Wives’ Spinoff Show Aoki Lee Simmons Stuns At Senior Prom [PHOTOS] Follow @TheRSMS
Source: Emma McIntyre/VMN19 / Getty It Looks Like Tessa Thompson Loved Brie Larson’s Speech As Much As The Rest Of Us The 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards took place on Monday evening, sparking some commentary, memes, and a lot of opinions about how the night went down. One of the moments that has people talking is Brie Larson’s much-deserved victory, ta king home the award for “Best Fight” for her work in Captain Marvel . It was a tough category to win, beating out some serious contenders like her fellow Marvel pals Chris Evans and Josh Brolin for their fight in Avengers: End Game , along with Maisie Williams for her fight against the White Walkers in Game of Thrones . Out of all the contenders, Brie took home the big prize for her incredible show of strength throughout Marvel’s first female-led film–and what’s even more amazing than her accomplishment alone is how she chose to accept the award. The actress ended up bringing her Captain Marvel stunt doubles, Joanna Bennett and Renae Moneymaker , on stage to accept the award. She introduced both ladies, saying, “I could not have made this film without them. They are really the baseline of who she is. They are the living embodiment of Captain Marvel .” After that, the star stepped aside to give the other women their shine, letting them give their own respective speeches about what it was like to work on this film together. YES! Girl Power!! @brielarson #MTVAwards pic.twitter.com/QHBKbpNJe0 — MTV (@MTV) June 18, 2019 Joanna and Renae spoke on their experiences in the industry and how much of an honor it was to work on a film like captain Marvel, bringing strong female characters to the forefront. They ended their acceptance speech thanking Brie for acknowledging their role in the film and the work of stunt doubles in general, which is often overlooked. Fans all over the world have been praising Larson since last night for her generosity in making sure her stunt doubles get their shine, making everyone even more in love with the star. “Brie Larson lied about doing all of her stunts” She did all the stunts she was ALLOWED to do. ANYWAY, here’s her PROFESSIONAL stunt doubles and she brought them with her after winning the Best Fight award. Your faves could never. pic.twitter.com/YKfJry0RcX — ︽✵︽
Source: Emma McIntyre/VMN19 / Getty It Looks Like Tessa Thompson Loved Brie Larson’s Speech As Much As The Rest Of Us The 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards took place on Monday evening, sparking some commentary, memes, and a lot of opinions about how the night went down. One of the moments that has people talking is Brie Larson’s much-deserved victory, ta king home the award for “Best Fight” for her work in Captain Marvel . It was a tough category to win, beating out some serious contenders like her fellow Marvel pals Chris Evans and Josh Brolin for their fight in Avengers: End Game , along with Maisie Williams for her fight against the White Walkers in Game of Thrones . Out of all the contenders, Brie took home the big prize for her incredible show of strength throughout Marvel’s first female-led film–and what’s even more amazing than her accomplishment alone is how she chose to accept the award. The actress ended up bringing her Captain Marvel stunt doubles, Joanna Bennett and Renae Moneymaker , on stage to accept the award. She introduced both ladies, saying, “I could not have made this film without them. They are really the baseline of who she is. They are the living embodiment of Captain Marvel .” After that, the star stepped aside to give the other women their shine, letting them give their own respective speeches about what it was like to work on this film together. YES! Girl Power!! @brielarson #MTVAwards pic.twitter.com/QHBKbpNJe0 — MTV (@MTV) June 18, 2019 Joanna and Renae spoke on their experiences in the industry and how much of an honor it was to work on a film like captain Marvel, bringing strong female characters to the forefront. They ended their acceptance speech thanking Brie for acknowledging their role in the film and the work of stunt doubles in general, which is often overlooked. Fans all over the world have been praising Larson since last night for her generosity in making sure her stunt doubles get their shine, making everyone even more in love with the star. “Brie Larson lied about doing all of her stunts” She did all the stunts she was ALLOWED to do. ANYWAY, here’s her PROFESSIONAL stunt doubles and she brought them with her after winning the Best Fight award. Your faves could never. pic.twitter.com/YKfJry0RcX — ︽✵︽
Source: Christopher Polk / Getty It’s no secret that Blue Ivy has every ounce of her mom and dad’s swag so we had to share this video that TMZ posted of Blue Ivy getting DOWN to mom Beyoncé’s remake of Frankie Beverly and Maze’s classic “Before I Let Go”. Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). TMZ reports that 7-year-old Blue took the stage three times during the recital for the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in L.A. for their annual Spring Concert, which was titled “Colors” this year. Baby girl hit that split too! Go head Blue. Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit SEE ALSO: Blue Ivy Carter & Beyoncé Are Twins In This Side-By-Side Photo SEE ALSO: Blue Ivy’s Long & Luxurious Mane Snatches The Edges Off Her Bald-Headed Haters [PHOTOS] SEE ALSO: Atlanta News Anchor Goes Off To Beyoncé’s “Before I Let Go” [VIDEO] Follow @TheRSMS
Source: David Rojas / Getty So are Rob Kardashian and Evelyn Lozada dating now? via MTO Rob Kardashian now has a new reality show bae, Basketball Wives star Evelyn Lozada. The couple announced that they were “seeing” each other last night on Twitter. Well they didn’t quite announce they were dating – but their tweets strongly suggest that the two are seeing each other. It all started when Evelyn posted a comment about the size of Rob’s manhood. Rob responded with a very graphic description of Evelyn’s s*x game. Here’s what was posted: [ione_media_gallery src=”https://zhiphopcleveland.com” id=”4536805″ overlay=”true”]
Source: David Rojas / Getty So are Rob Kardashian and Evelyn Lozada dating now? via MTO Rob Kardashian now has a new reality show bae, Basketball Wives star Evelyn Lozada. The couple announced that they were “seeing” each other last night on Twitter. Well they didn’t quite announce they were dating – but their tweets strongly suggest that the two are seeing each other. It all started when Evelyn posted a comment about the size of Rob’s manhood. Rob responded with a very graphic description of Evelyn’s s*x game. Here’s what was posted: [ione_media_gallery src=”https://zhiphopcleveland.com” id=”4536805″ overlay=”true”]
